This is a traditional chocolate cake and it has never failed me. It’s so moist and delectable, I often don’t even frost it. I bake it in a large rectangular pan or as cupcakes then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. A bite is like a warm hug, a sweet kiss, and a trip to grandma’s all rolled into one. Bake it in cake rounds and frost it–and you might as well stick some candles in it and call it your birthday. You know, one where you get to pick the number and everything.
It’s a made-from-scratch cake with the most basic of ingredients that are easy to keep on hand as staples, so go ahead, make it today. You probably have the stuff. As with all of my recipes, special flour isn’t required. This isn’t because I believe there is no purpose in this world for cake flour, but it simply doesn’t fit my culinary perspective. I totally stole that term from the Next Food Network Star series, in which they are constantly asking the contestants to define their culinary perspective. (And some of them have a lot of trouble doing it.) Culinary perspective is a somewhat pretentious term, so I use it slightly tongue-in-cheek, though I do have one. I’m interested in old-fashioned, traditional country cooking. There is a reason food is better in the country. It’s homegrown and homemade, created from scratch using the simplest of ingredients. Most of our great-grandmas didn’t have access to gourmet ingredients or even many of the ingredients that might be considered almost basic today. And yet they baked better cakes and pies and bread than we ever will with our fancy store-bought specialty ingredients. Self-sustaining and frugal, they practiced the art of making delicious food from pantry staples along with the milk they drew into the pail that morning, the eggs they tucked into their aprons from the hen house, and the butter they churned with their own hand. In other words, they weren’t running to the supercenter for cake flour. They knew how to make cake without it. We can, too. And so why isn’t the Food Network knocking at my door? Don’t they know I have a culinary perspective? It takes some of those contestants halfway through the season before they figure theirs out and by then they’re getting booted off! I already have mine! I’m ready!
Oh, yeah, this was a post about cake……
This cake recipe is my own. You won’t find it anywhere else on the internet. It’s based on an old-fashioned chocolate cake recipe from a cookbook long ago then adjusted to make a more satisfying cake, to me. I don’t like skimpy cake layers. (I don’t like skimpy icing, either. I don’t like skimpy anything!) It makes a moist, rich, light and high cake. We love it. I hope you will, too. (Please do not be afraid of scratch cakes. You haven’t had cake until you’ve had a scratch cake! Cake mixes….aren’t cake. Homemade….. Try it; you’ll like it.)
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How to make Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 2/3 cups milk
Heat oven to 350-degrees. Grease and flour two round cake pans. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another, larger bowl, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat well. Add flour mixture and milk; beat again. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. These are tall layers and may take a bit longer to bake than you are accustomed to. However, ovens are different. For me and my oven and my cake pans, it takes the full 35 minutes. Your mileage may vary depending on your oven and whether your cake pans are 8-inch or 9-inch. Please watch your cake carefully. Do not open the oven during the first 15 minutes of baking–it may make your cake fall. At 30 minutes (or even 25 if your oven bakes quickly), check your cake with the toothpick test until done. Do not overbake! Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes then invert to cool completely.
If baking as cupcakes, cupcakes will be done in about 15-20 minutes. In a large rectangular baking pan, cake will be done in approximately 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, or (especially if baking in cake rounds), ice with Fluffy White Frosting.
How to make Fluffy White Frosting:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Combine sugar, water, and cream of tartar in a pan on the stove. Cook till bubbly and sugar is dissolved. In a bowl, combine egg whites and vanilla. Add sugar mixture to egg whites, a little at a time, beating constantly. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Easily frosts a two-layer cake. I can’t stand it when a recipe doesn’t make enough frosting. This one makes plenty. When you first make the frosting, it will be a bit warm from cooking the sugar-water mixture. It spreads easier if you refrigerate it for 30 minutes before frosting the cake. Make the icing while the cake is baking.
This is icing like nothing that comes in a plastic can at the store. It’s heaven in a bowl. This cake is great with vanilla ice cream–but with this icing, you won’t even want it. The icing is enough. It’s that good.
P.S. If you’re baking this cake with farm-fresh milk and eggs, it’s even better.
P.P.S. That’s how our great-grandmas made it.
P.P.P.S. Food Network producers? If you’re reading? Don’t forget that I have a culinary perspective.
P.P.P.P.S. Can I do the show from here? Cuz I have chores.
Find these recipes on Farm Bell Recipes for the handy print pages and to save them to your recipe box:
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake
Fluffy White Icing
See All My Recipes
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mmHoney says:
I WOULD LOVE TO SHOW UP AT YOUR HOUSE AND COME IN FOR CAKE AND COFFEE. IT LOOKS DELI-C-CCCCUS.
On September 12, 2008 at 3:40 am
mmHoney says:
WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP AT THIS HOUR?????
I HAVE AN EXCUSE – “I CAN’T SLEEP.”
On September 12, 2008 at 3:44 am
wkf says:
That looks delightful! Are those your eggs???
:flying:
On September 12, 2008 at 6:43 am
M says:
My mother grew up on a farm. She knows how to cook and so did her mother. I remember hanging out in the kitchen helping my grandmother. I also remember them warning me about some of the other relatives in the county … they couldn’t cook. My mother still tells tales about how she and her siblings avoided the ‘aunties’ cooking.
By the way, when we make cakes … its from scratch. Love scraping the bowl clean with a finger! I do have two recipes that use a mix as a base, but they get quite a bit of additions so they aren’t obviously cake-from-a-box.
Thanks for the recipe … I think my mom will like this one … especially the 1 cup of cocoa. :thumbsup: She read a county fair recipe in the paper last week that had 2 tblspoons of cocoa in a winning choc pie recipe. Her comment “may have looked chocolate, but it couldn’t have tasted like chocolate!”
Her favorite icing for chocolate cake … Ganauche! There is no such thing as too much chocolate.
M from NC
On September 12, 2008 at 7:18 am
Lisa L says:
That cake looks very yummy. I think you would be a great choice for a regular series on TV. I’d definitely be watching!! Lisa L. :thumbsup:
On September 12, 2008 at 7:37 am
Birdi says:
I was here this morning looking for a dessert recipe to try. What a surprise to find one jump out at me. Looks delicious! Now you know what I’m having this evening. Forget supper.
This post was before the recipe was touching and YOU definitely have “culinary perspective”. Its obvious that it comes from within. Thanks for dessert.
On September 12, 2008 at 7:44 am
Tresha says:
M from NC….your mom’s statement cracked me up!!!
NO you cannot be on TV Suzanne because then you would not hae time to blog and show us stuff to be jealous about….(it is selfish Friday…were you aware? )
soooooooooo making this cake today…and eating it all before the family gets home! they can have the box stuff…..(man I am GOOD at selfish Friday! hahaha)
Have a great weekend everyone!
Tresh in Oklahoma
On September 12, 2008 at 7:47 am
BethAnn says:
Suzanne,
Are those your eggs??? Have the girls been busy in the hen house? Please tell! My hubby has been out of town for a few days for work. Perhaps my girls and I (7and4, me…never mind) will make this beautiful cake this afternoon and then go pick him up at the airport!
??-Do you keep the leftovers on the counter in a cake keeper or in the fridge?
On September 12, 2008 at 7:48 am
Blaze says:
There must be something about this Food Network I’m just missing. I totally miss the appeal of it.
But you know what?
I don’t miss the appeal of this cake!
Though I’m afraid that pie is still greater then cake.
Pie>Cake.
:hungry:
On September 12, 2008 at 7:51 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
BethAnn, chocolate cake leftovers? Do those word go together? 😆
(No, those aren’t my eggs! They are farm eggs, but not mine, yet!)
On September 12, 2008 at 7:52 am
Shari C says:
Oh, my, your cake looks so sinfully good. I love chocolate cake! I do believe I am going to have to try this recipe. I hope mine turns out as great as yours as I do not have my own eggs and milk, but have to depend on the grocery store for my ingredients.
On September 12, 2008 at 8:05 am
Kayis says:
Suzanne!!! Why are you doing this to me?!?!?!?
On September 12, 2008 at 8:10 am
Pamela-ATL. says:
Well, that looks devine. I’ll be thinking of that cake all day now. Kind of like a song you can’t get out of your head.
On September 12, 2008 at 8:22 am
Beckynsc says:
That cake looks delicious! Mouth watering!
Of course, your pictures do that to a person.
Good luck with the food network! I’m rooting for you!
On September 12, 2008 at 8:49 am
Bertie says:
One of my Aunts used to make this cake and bring it to family reunions when I was a little girl…it was like HEAVEN!! Oh how this brings back memories; out of all the great home-made country foods that showed up, this was my absolute favorite!
On September 12, 2008 at 8:55 am
Will says:
This cake looks delicious. I like that you don’t have to fold in egg whites-ack-hate that. My Mom loves to eat a slice of cake, no frosting, right out of the oven-piping hot. I’m a frosting kind of guy. This frosting is the exact frosting that we use on all of our Easter cakes.
On September 12, 2008 at 8:57 am
Katharina says:
Mmmmmm. Thank you, Suzanne. I love chocolate. You are so right. FREST HOMEGROWN is the best ever.
On September 12, 2008 at 9:15 am
Suzette says:
In my spare time (HAH!) I do cake decorating, and I prefer to bake from scratch. But, I’m still searching for that perfect chocolate cake recipe. It’s so elusive! I’ll give this one a try. My hopes are high! This looks wonderful.
On September 12, 2008 at 9:17 am
Abiga/karen says:
I don’t even like chocolate cake even though I like chocolate so much but this I have to try! Um.. right after the burnt sugar cake which I haven’t had time to make yet. I have an old recipe notebook from my grandma I am going to have to dig through things to find. Blessings.
On September 12, 2008 at 9:18 am
Nancy says:
Suzanne, wanna take a trip to Atlanta? Bring chocolate cake, and you can stay as long as you like. :purr:
On September 12, 2008 at 9:26 am
jane says:
Drove in from Houston yesterday and left at the right time. the evacuation route was jammed, we sat on the freeway long periods but made it home. they are bracing for a bad storm and asking most of Houston to stay put so the people on the coast can get out bec they face the most danger. they are expected to lose power etc. my sister’s house was not in the evacuation zone. the mayor asked them to board up and hunker down and brace for the storm at 100 mile an hour winds. we will get some of that in North Texas too.
so – baking helps my stress level – so chocolate cake it is
just seeing the picture has already reduced my stress!!!
On September 12, 2008 at 9:28 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
Jane, take care! I’m glad you’re safe!
BethAnn, I just realized I didn’t really answer your question. (Got sidetracked on the mystery of leftover chocolate cake, LOL.) Yes, because of the icing on this cake, it is better kept in the fridge. (Not necessary if you use a different type of icing, but this icing is SO GOOD.)
On September 12, 2008 at 9:32 am
angiecmt says:
Yum Yum, definitely going to give this a try 🙂
Love the blog – first place I go in the mornings!
On September 12, 2008 at 9:36 am
Shelley says:
:hungry: To quote from the jerry maguire movie – the cake had me at hello! As soon as I saw the photo – I was determined to make this no matter what ingredients or skill level I have. Thank you for sharing!!
Shelley
On September 12, 2008 at 9:43 am
Gizmo says:
This looks heavenly. I also am holding you personally responsible for my butt growing. Your recipes are so good, and I just don’t have any will power to NOT make (or eat) them! 😆
Your hens will start laying really soon….then you’ll REALLY be baking up a storm.
On September 12, 2008 at 9:56 am
IowaCowgirl says:
ANOTHER AWESOME RECIPE!!
I have made this one lots…the frosting is wonderful – my 96-year-old dad loves it. I’m taking this as a hint to quit freezing apples for a day and make this cake!!
On September 12, 2008 at 10:12 am
hayseed says:
does the warm mixture sufficiently ‘cook’ the egg whites? or are they still raw, I’ve never made this kind of icing before, just wondering about the food safety issue (because I REALLY want to try this recipe-hubby’s birthday on sunday!)
On September 12, 2008 at 10:21 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
hayseed, the sugar mixture is at a boil (that’s what I meant by bubbly–I’m sorry if that wasn’t clear!) when you add it to the egg whites to beat. However, if you want to take the extra precaution, you can also heat your egg whites separately (in the microwave). Try it for 30-60 seconds and use a thermometer to test–if you heat the egg whites to 160-degrees, you should be fine. (Be careful–you don’t want to cook them so don’t overdo it!) At what temperature your sugar water boils will depend on your elevation (sea level, water boils at 212 degrees).
On September 12, 2008 at 10:35 am
Becky says:
I dreamed you were teaching me how to milk a goat last night, I kid you not! (kid….ar ar ar!) You gave me a taste of the milk. It was good.
I am very concerned….
On September 12, 2008 at 10:53 am
Carolyn A. says:
Oh I’m definitely making this. And I need a job on your farm as I need to keep my waistline from expanding with all the goodness that you keep sharing. xxoo
On September 12, 2008 at 11:49 am
prairiegirl says:
I’m having company next weekend and I am totally making this cake!! Looks as moist as one called wacky cake that my mom used to make…yum!!
On September 12, 2008 at 11:57 am
shirley says:
Do you think that cakes turn out just as good made with self- rising flour?
On September 12, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Shirley, I’ve never made it with self-rising flour so I don’t know! If you experiment with it, come back and let us know!
On September 12, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Robin G. says:
So when *will* you be getting eggs?
On September 12, 2008 at 12:28 pm
Donna says:
OHHHH Heaven! FABULOUS Suzanne! What a DREAMY looking cake! The only bad thing is that I don’t have a fork at this moment to dive right into that cake!
You have such a knack for decorating your cakes too…such a pretty finish!
My husbands’ favorite icing is “white”. At first I thought he meant vanilla (in the tubs), but he said “no, white – his mom makes it”. I got her recipe and think I lost it, but it sounds like yours above. Pillsbury finally came out with “white” in a tube and it was DIVINE and I could see what he meant. However, now, we cannot find it – nor in any other brand – they ALL taste grose to us. So, this will be WONDERFUL.
The picture also reminded me of a frosting we made when I was a child, out of the box, adding boiling water (I am sure all of you are too young to remember hee hee) – but it was a marshmallow fluff icing and soooo good. It tasted like warm fluffy marshmallow!
I also love 7 minute frosting – it is more like Divinity on a cake…I like that on HOMEMADE angelfood cake, but hardly EVER have it, as those are time consuming cakes to make – at least my recipe…sometimes I’ll get one at Whole Foods and put that icing on it.
Anyway..FABULOUS!!! As usual, Suzanne…and I am so glad to have this recipe!!! Thank you!
On September 12, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Melanie says:
Well said regarding our grandmother’s cooking. And the cake looks great. Will have to try it sometime.
On September 12, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Tresha says:
ok, just knocked out your pepperoni lasagna dish…now I am on to the cake above…my husband is going to think I am in the doghouse or something!
ha
just letting you know your posts aren’t going to waste!!!
Tresh in Oklahoma!
On September 12, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Brandy says:
That looks positively yummy. Hubs loves chocolate cake, I may have to try this for him. *G*
On September 12, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Estella says:
That cake sounds truly decadent!
On September 12, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Yoga Grl says:
Oh, that looks so good. Awesome that you shared this recipe. We are actually having our house warming party tomorrow, and I just might make this. Or, I should more accurately say, I may attempt to make this. Thanks.
On September 12, 2008 at 4:14 pm
DeeBee says:
That cake sounds so good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
On September 12, 2008 at 4:32 pm
catslady says:
I like just looking at it lol. I’m past making too many things from scratch but I still find it interesting.
On September 12, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Susan says:
The Food Network doesn’t know what it is missing out on by not giving you a show!
On September 12, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Abiga/karen says:
OK everyone. I just made it.I was going to do the burnt sugar recipe first but my daughter said this looks better to her anyway. I still have to let it cool and frost but both nibbles of cake and frosting taste wowowowwwwwwweeeeeeeee. I did have trouble turning out the one cake pan as the cake split into 3 pieces but the frosting shuld hide all that when put together. Did I not let it cool enough? Oh my daughter’s family all went out for the day. They may just find me on the floor with cake and frosting all over my mouth when they get home later. Blessings. :yes:
On September 12, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Riverdog says:
Try this next time. Mix 1 cup of shortening with one cup of flour and beat the heck out of it. Then use plastic wrap and coat the bottom and sides of the pan covering it with a thin layer You see you have plenty of the cake release left over, cover and store in a cool place until the next time it’s needed.
Fill the pans with what ever and bake. Allow to cool for about 10 or 15 minutes then remove the cakes from the pans and finish cooling to room temperature. Note if the cake is sticking in the pan place the pan on the stove top and heat just a little then flip the pan over and the cake should fall out ot the pan.
On July 4, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Karen, I’m not sure, but did you flour the cake pans after you greased them? I find that helps. I hope you enjoy it anyway!
On September 12, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Stephanie says:
Would it be wrong if I ate this all by myself this weekend? It sounds wonderful, and I think it’s just what I need.
On September 12, 2008 at 6:01 pm
SuzieQ says:
Now I know what I will be doing tomorrow..making and eating this cake and getting a bigger butt!! Oh well, life is to enjoy..
On September 12, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Wammy says:
OH MY GOSH…my mouth won’t quit watering!
On September 12, 2008 at 8:17 pm
IowaDeb says:
I want some cake too…love the dark color of the cake. I remember my grandma would put some cold coffee in hers and it would be really dark. Can you use goat milk for making cakes?
On September 12, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
You can use goat milk for anything! I made this cake with goat milk. Tonight, I made baked potato soup with goat milk. I use it for everything now!
On September 12, 2008 at 8:35 pm
kacey says:
I NEED a piece of the cake for breakfast this morning. It’s a need, not a want. Really.
On September 13, 2008 at 11:26 am
Jessica says:
This post made my mouth water! Mostly it was just that first picture but I can’t wait for my friend’s birthday so I can make this for him!(and me!) Love all your recipes and posts!! And I think I’m in love with your goats and your giant puppy!
On September 13, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Lisa says:
I’m making this for my husband’s birthday this weekend. Very excited. Your pictures are gorgeous! I come home from work and read your posts every day to unwind. Keep up the good work.
On September 15, 2008 at 10:01 pm
Fowlvisions says:
That cake looks so delicious! I have got to try :hungry: .
On September 16, 2008 at 8:39 am
nolenole says:
On September 16, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Donna says:
I made this FABULOUS cake yesterday…OMG, it was DIVINE! Try it and you’ll LOVE IT! Thank you Suzanne for ALL your wonderful recipes you share!
On September 23, 2008 at 11:24 am
cindy smith says:
i want to thank you for the recipes they are great i have tried several of them and they are all great. i was out of cocoa so i had to use semisweet chocolate squares. the cake was so moist and beautiful. i had to use 5 chocolate squares that were melted. would like to know if you have a recipe for scalloped corn thank you cindy smith
On October 2, 2008 at 4:02 pm
cindy smith says:
i also made a cream cheese icing for it and it was also great with the chocolate cake i made it also from scratch thank you
On October 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm
CindyP says:
Oh WOW!! I made this for my grandson’s birthday cake today……..and holy oh cow!!! I used the frosting recipe and thought I was doing something wrong, but I kept the mixer going and it worked out!! Also I added 1 TBL cocoa to the sugar mixture for a chocolate frosting, it’s very light, but oh so good!! Thanks Suzanne, I knew I could go to your recipes for the special cake I needed!
On December 28, 2008 at 7:33 am
Riverdog says:
Ok This looks as if you can also make this into a Chocolate cake mix but you would have to use powdered milk in place of whole milk. I think I can convert this for you. Here it is :
21/2 cups flour – 13/4 cups sugar – 11/2 tsp soda – 1/2 tsp B. powder – 1/2 tsp salt – 1 cup of cocoa powder – 1/2 cup + 1 tbs powdered milk.
Now my thoughts go to the construction of the cake. Your recipe calls for creaming the sugar and butter. This would not be possable using the above mix because the sugar is in with the flour mixture. It’s always best to follow directions and in this cake it could lose something by not creaming the sugar & butter plus the using of powdered milk in place of whole milk. You will need to replace the milk liquids with the same amount of water 12/3 cups.
This cake will taste great and if it loses some texture who’s to know I’ve never had the origanal and I’m not going to tell anyone that this is a knockoff.
On July 4, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Memoria says:
Wow, this looks better than my go-to chocolate recipe, the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake! Have you tried that one? How does it compare? I love how dark your cake is. I will be trying this soon.
On July 5, 2009 at 10:05 am
Stephanie In MO says:
:snoopy: :snoopy:
The fact that I can have snoopy dancing on my blog makes me like you even more.
Well I LOVE to BAKE and I love your culinary perspective. I find it refreshing and sweet. So far I’ve made the icing and just as you have said, “it is a treat in itself” All my husband and I can say is “WOW”
The cake is in the oven and just the batter itself is Heaven in a bowl. I can’t thank you and your culinary perspective enough. I will let you know how the cake turns out but I’m Sure it will be WONDERFUL!! Thanks again
On August 2, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Stephanie In MO says:
:snoopy:
Sweet heaven on earth. This is only the second scratch cake that I’ve made in adulthood. Thank You This was the recipe that my husband found for his birthday cake and it is absolutely everything you said it would be. Snoopy is dancing, My hunny and I are dancing and our puppy Benny is dancing. :snuggle:
I can not wait to try another recipe. I may even have to try them all and then send a few of my own. From one mother to another, I want to commend you for uprooting your children and lavishing this wonderful country experience that you have given them, they will thank you for it.
On August 2, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Suzanne says:
Stephanie, I’m so glad it turned out well! We would love for you to come join us on the forum and share some of your favorite recipes! Please feel welcome!
On August 3, 2009 at 5:16 am
Rachel says:
Chocolate cake is one of my absolute favorites, I can’t wait to try this. I see that someone attempted a conversion to a cake mix above, I was wondering if it’s been tried yet? I’d love to make up a few mixes to have on hand along with your homemade yellow cake mix.
On July 25, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Catherine says:
Hi! I don’t remember how I found your blog, but I’m really enjoying it.I made this chocolate cake yesterday and it turned out really good. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I just wanted to let you know that I posted your site and recipe on my blog.
Thanks! :sheepjump:
On September 3, 2010 at 5:58 am
Johnsie Boleyn says:
Hi, I tried this chocolate cake recipe few hours ago but somehow couldn’t achieve the same result as you, my cake definitely wasn’t looking that good (but tasted fine). What kind of chocolate are you using? Maybe it’s coming from the flour I used, i’m gluten intelorant so I used amaranth flour instead of regular wheat flour.
On October 9, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Johnsie, I use Hershey’s cocoa. However, my best bet would be your trouble is with the flour you were using. I used all-purpose flour in this recipe. (Though I understand your issue of gluten-intolerance, so that isn’t your answer. I’m not an expert of adjusting recipe for flours that don’t have gluten.)
On October 9, 2010 at 5:37 pm
Canner Joann says:
I made this last week, and while the frosting turned out great for me (heaven in a bowl is right!), the cake was dry. I used a glass 10×14 pan, and thought I took it out at the right time (toothpick test). I salvaged it and turned it into a trifle using the cake, homemade chocolate syrup and the frosting, and it was good. Would my glass pan have anything to do with it? Should I have lowered the temp or the baking time?
On October 9, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
I’ve used this recipe in a large pan for sheet cake and had no trouble with it being moist. I don’t have a glass cake pan, however, so that might be the problem, I just don’t know.
On October 9, 2010 at 7:38 pm
cinderbama says:
Canner Joann,
Here are some reasons you may have had trouble with the cake turning out too dry. Hope this helps!
• Too much flour. Be sure to measure properly and level the top of the cup with a knife.
• Too much shortening.
• Too much sugar.
• Beating the eggs too long. Egg whites are a drying agent.
• Improperly mixing – not enough or over-mixing. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom while you’re mixing. Don’t beat it for too long either.
• Over-filling the cake pans. They need to be ½ – ¾ full.
• Oven too hot.
• Leaving the cake in the oven too long. Check it before the time is up to adjust baking time if needed. When the timer dings don’t ignore it!
I am world’s worst about letting my timer ding too long. I would think, though, that you need to adjust the cooking time if you are using a glass pan, especially if it is a dark pan. Your cake probably just cooked a couple minutes too long.
On November 14, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Cinderbama says:
Baked the cake tonight for Little Boy, Middle Son,and Middle Son’s girlfriend. I purposely put it in a dark blue glass baking pan to see if it got too dry. Actually it was really moist. In fact, it was SO moist that it took 50 minutes at 350 degrees! But Suzanne is right. This cake is awesome with just powdered sugar. I’m eating my second piece right now! Just goes to show that nothing is predictable.
On November 14, 2010 at 11:41 pm
dee leBleu says:
I love this icing – my mother always made it. Yummy – however, I have problems getting the icing to form peaks? HOW TO DO IT?
Thanks. Dee
On November 21, 2010 at 12:15 am
Suzanne McMinn says:
dee, it’s all the beating!! It takes a while.
On November 21, 2010 at 6:02 am
Serena says:
It sound delicious but I have a question. Can you fix it like a prepackeged deal like the yellow cake mix you came up with? If so I would appreciate on how to do that. Take care and I love your recipes :duck:
On December 8, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Serena, you could put all the dry ingredients together as a mix.
On December 8, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Serena says:
Thank you suzanne I will do this my daughter loves chocolate so she wants to try this. Take care
On December 12, 2010 at 3:43 am
Sheila says:
I made a chocolate cake last night, sorry it was from a box, and I have one can of frosting. I’m a whipped kind of girl adn the Fluffy white is my fav. Some frineds were asking about it as they had no clue. I came across your picture and post. Now I’m going to have to try my hand at your cake! We live in China and though I can get box mixes here they are very expensive. Thanks for sharing!
On February 20, 2011 at 1:12 am
KrisZeh says:
I stumbled across your blog a little while back looking for a cake mix from scratch and fell in love! I’ve since used your white and yellow cake mixes multiple times, and was looking for a good chocolate mix. I saw this recipe (and admittedly didn’t read the comments already left), and was wondering if you’ve ever made a mix for this recipe???
I’m an at-home mom to three that are 6 and under and grabbing a mix to make a dessert is a bit easier for me, but I will NOT buy boxes of processed junk to feed my family. Help a girl out?
On February 19, 2013 at 1:49 pm
oddmama says:
My cake is baking and I am making the frosting as we speak…it looks so good! It’s for my youngest daughter’s first birthday I am so excited!
On February 5, 2015 at 5:55 pm
ginakenney1 says:
Suzanne-Wanted to give a shout out to you that I blogged about your chocolate cake recipe. Talk about delicious! Thank you for always inspiring me and providing me with successful recipes! I am so done with boxed cake mixes! This cake is stellar!
My blog post is here: https://www.athomemyway.blogspot.com/2015/03/ditch-box-homemade-chocolate-cake.html
Thanks again!
Gina
On March 16, 2015 at 2:29 pm
zteagirl71 says:
Oh how I WISH The Food Network, or Cooking Channel would make a deal with you. Two shows on their networks try to pass themselves off as having “farmhouse rules” or as “pioneers” — yah no, I don’t think so. You’re a woman that actually lives on a real working farm, with a real pioneering spirit. Like Ina Garten, don’t let them change you if they ever wise up and come knocking on your door.
On October 22, 2015 at 1:40 pm